Parashat Tetzaveh 5777, 2017:

The Garments of the Kohen Gadol: Their Meaning and Significance

Rabbi David Etengoff

Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-
law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat
Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, Yehonatan Binyamin ben
Mordechai Meir Halevi, Avraham Yechezkel ben Yaakov Halevy, Shayna Yehudit bat Avraham
Manes and Rivka, the refuah shlaimah of Devorah bat Chana and Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, and
the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.

A significant number of pasukim (verses) in our parasha and in Parashat Pekudei are

devoted to the design and creation of the bigdei kahuna (the garments of the Kohanim).

Moreover, no less than 38 verses in our parasha focus upon the intricate details

associated with the mystical garb of the Kohen Gadol (the High Priest). In my view, one

of the introductory pasukim to this section bears particularly careful examination: You

shall make holy garments (bigdei kodesh) for your brother Aaron, for honor and glory

(lkavode ultiffaret). (Sefer Shemot 28:2, this and all Bible translations, The Judaica

Press Complete Tanach)

The expression, lkavode ultiffaret, is difficult to understand, since the Torah does not

stipulate the manner in which the bigdei Kohen Gadol (garments of the Kohen Gadol)

will impart honor and glory to Aaron and subsequent Kohanim Gadolim. The Ramban

(Nachmanides, 1194-1270) grapples with this problem in his Commentary on Sefer

Shemot 28:2:

For honor and glory may be interpreted in this manner: In order that he [Aaron] will be
revered and elevated in such magnificent and splendid garments. As the text states:
with a robe of righteousness He has enwrapped me; like a bridegroom, who, priest-
like, dons garments of glory (Sefer Yeshayahu 61:10) This is the case, since, at the
time of the Torah, these garments [of the Kohen Gadol] were most often worn by the
 kings of this period. [Moreover,] this was unmistakably demonstrated in regards to
[Josephs] coat: and he [Jacob] made him a fine woolen coat. (Sefer Bereishit 37:3)
This means that Jacob dressed him like a son of one of the ancient kings.

Thus, according to the Ramban, the very act of wearing such king-like garments imbued

the Kohen Gadol with great prominence in the eyes of the entire nation.

In a somewhat parallel fashion to the Ramban, my rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B.

Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), elaborates upon the underlying rationale of the bigdei

Kohen Gadol and their association with the concepts of authority, dignity and humility.

He begins by describing the Kohen Gadols clothing as a type of uniform that represents

authority:

You shall make holy garments for your brother Aaron, for honor and glory. People
appointed by the public, such as government officials, have always worn uniforms. The
uniform indicates that the one wearing it holds an office and is endowed with authority.
Even an absolute monarch wears a uniform to distinguish himself from the ordinary
citizen. Leadership and distinction express themselves in distinctive garments (This
and the following quotes, Chumash Mesoras HaRav, Sefer Shemot 28:2, page 249, based
upon the notes of Aton Holzer, underlining my own)

At this juncture, the Rav discusses how one acquires dignity, and explores its inextricable

connection to the clothing one wears:

... the dignity of man lies in his dress. Dignity, unlike any other capability, must be
planted into a person. If dignity is not part of his educational process, he will never
possess it; dignity does not come on its own. In a king or ruler, personal capabilities, or
the lack of them, often go unnoticed. However, lack of dignity is noticed, and a ruler that
exhibits it is punished by the people. Clothing is an expression not of the intellect, but of
the dignity of man, and uniforms imply that those donning them are specially selected by
the people and are given certain privileges that others do not receive.

Next, Rav Soloveitchik analyzes the relationship that obtains between humility and

authority in reference to the bigdei Kohen Gadol, and the Kohen Gadol himself:

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 There is a special aspect of humility that is indispensable to positions of power. Ones
authority comes not from within, but from without. G-d wanted the Kohen Gadol to
realize that he was undeserving of his position. When he wore his uniform, the Kohen
Gadol recognized that he filled his role not due to his own merits which were
insufficient for anyone to assume such a high office. The same was true of the king;
without the donning of the royal garments, he would not have the authority to act as king.

The Ravs three essential points provide us with a deeper understanding of the import of

the bigdei Kohen Gadol: The uniform indicates that he holds a unique office and is

endowed with authority. Then, too, clothing is an expression of the dignity of man. If this

is true in general, it is all the more so the case regarding the Kohen Gadol. Crucially, the

bigdei Kohen Gadol are intended to engender humility within the Kohen Gadols

persona. The Almighty wanted the Kohen Gadol to realize that he was undeserving of his

position based solely upon his own merits; instead, he was directly chosen by the Master

of the Universe to serve in this role.

In his analysis of our pasuk, the Ketav Sofer (Rabbi Avraham Shmuel Binyamin Sofer,

1815-1871) places great emphasis upon the expression bigdei kodesh that appears prior

to the phrase lkavode ultiffaret. He notes that, in general, bigdei kodesh connotes

garments that would add to the holiness of the one who wears them, since they would

appear to be made specifically for this purpose. As Rav Sofer clarifies, however, this was

completely unwarranted in Aarons case:

But in truth, it was completely unnecessary for Aaaron to undergo the preparation
generated by these garments, since he was fitting to serve the Almighty without them
just like our teacher Moses, may his memory be a blessing, who performed the sacrificial
service in a simple white cloak. (Sefer Ketav Sofer, Sefer Shemot, s.v. vasita bigdei
kodesh (2), this and the following translation and underlining my own)

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Why, then, did Aharon need to wear the bigdei Kohen Gadol? Fascinatingly, the Ketav

Sofers answer underscores one of Rav Soloveitchiks major ideas concerning our verse,

namely, the overarching significance of humility:

[Given the honor and glory of the bigdei Kohen Gadol,]arrogance and an overweening
sense of self-importance could easily have become implanted in Aarons heart and mind,
since he was different in kind and degree from all the other kohanim and uniquely chosen
by Hashem. As our Sages never tired of teaching, arrogance is a negative behavioral trait
from which few people can be saved. This, then, was the precise reason why Aaaron
needed the holiness of these garments (kedushat habegadim) - in order that they should
save him from the sin of conceit and haughtiness and ensure that arrogance would not
become part of his personalitysince, [after all,] they were the clothing of kings

While it is certainly the case that very few of us could ever become the Kohen Gadol and

thereby be zocheh (merit) to wear his king-like garments, we are nonetheless the sons and

daughters of kings. As Abaye teaches us: Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel, Rabbi Shimon,

Rabbi Yishmael and Rabbi Akiva maintained that the entire Jewish people are the sons of

kings. (Talmud Bavli, Shabbat 128a) As such, each of us has the potential to bring the

holiness, honor and glory represented by the bigdei Kohen Gadol to Hashem and our

entire nation. With our heartfelt desire, and the Almightys never-ending blessing and

support, may this be so. Vchane yihi ratzon.

Shabbat Shalom

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